Here’s my story from today’s Journal News on Tim Sullivan replacing Bill Tribou as Horace Greeley’s football coach in 2012:
Because of his ongoing suspension, Bill Tribou will not coach the Horace Greeley football team this season. Seeking to provide the program with some semblance of continuity through its transition, the district’s board of education appointed longtime Tribou assistant Tim Sullivan as the varsity team’s interim coach.The school’s athletic director, Steve Young, would not comment on Tribou’s situation, but said Sullivan’s stability was an important ingredient in his appointment.
“Tim knows the system. He’s familiar with everything,” Young said. “He knows the kids. He knows the system. He was the natural guy to keep everything intact. He has the respect of the parents as well.”
Tribou, a physical education teacher, has not been fired from the school and the reason behind his suspension remains unclear. Despite protests from players, parents and alumni at its meetings since Tribou’s suspension this spring, the board of education has declined to comment publicly on the matter because it is a personnel issue.
Sullivan, who played quarterback at Greeley from 1987-88, has served as a coach under Tribou since 1995. He joined the varsity as an assistant in 2000 and has actively worked with the team’s quarterbacks, including recent star Justin Ciero.
Sullivan and returning assistants Dave Boniello and Dylan Clark ran the team’s spring workouts and its June camp. They have and will continue to retain much of Tribou’s offense and defense to ease the transition.
“It’s been trying on everybody,” Sullivan said. “The players, the parents, the players from the past and the coaching staff. I feel by taking this over we’re bringing some stability, some continuity. It’s the right thing to do for the players. These are the people who are really getting hurt. I really wanted to make sure the players were taken care of.”
Sullivan said he talked to Tribou about the decision to fill his position but would not comment on whether he received the coach’s blessing.
Sullivan accepted the position with consternation. He insisted on the interim title with the hope Tribou can return in 2013.
“I think there’s a chance,” Sullivan said. “I took the interim role because of that. I didn’t want to step on his toes. This is his program. It’s a difficult situation with me taking it over, but I think it’s the right thing to do for the players.”
Sullivan will return to work under Greeley’s former athletic director and physical education teacher Pete Kuczma, who was hired as a consultant in the athletic department. Kuczma coached Sullivan in high school and taught him as far back as kindergarten.
Tribou was not available for comment. Although he has confirmed the suspension, the school district has told Tribou not to discuss it publicly.
27 Comments
Can anyone shed some light on the reason for the suspension. Somebody in the Greely Football family must know the real reason behind the schedule. Here are my THOUGHTS and its based on the above quote
The school’s athletic director, Steve Young-”He has the respect of the parents as well.”
I would say its a few parents who want him out. Unfortunately, you see it more often in sports in certain communities. Some parents believe when there child doesn’t start its time to get the coached fired. We saw at JJ lax and Chappaqua did the same thing to the Lax coach who is now coaching Ridgefield.
Parents let the coaches coach. 99% of these coaches don’t have a child on the team, so they are just trying to put the kids in the best position so the team succeeds. The key word is the TEAM succeeds and not that Johnny plays QB or scores TD’s.
Isn’t this the guy who slammed Roosevelt as being an unsafe program? If memory serves, his team did not reach .500 that year after beating Roosevelt by 50+ points. Perhaps the Roosevelt job is open – lets see if he can turn that ship around, after all, it is much easier to slam somebody elses program than to show the way.
Yikes!
@scary – i think the Coach was more concerned for the RHS kids/players. After the game, the Rooservelt team had to wait 3 hrs for the bus, and before this the RHS football team showed up with very little equipment, meaning footballs and water jugs. The Coach from Greeley who was a Coach or player of RHS was very upset for the football program being neglected so he voiced his opinion. BTW Greeley fans, coaches and players hung around the school with the Rooservelt players and fed them till the bus showed, that show alot of character my friends. Thats what i believe what happened
I believe Rotten Tomato is correct, however, one could assume a conversation with the opposing coach may have been a better way to express his concerns than disrespecting the players and program in a public forum, no? Again, it is very easy to point fingers from afar, as the coach stated publicly that:
1. The opposing team was ill suited and prepared to play his team (which was not nearly as good as he thought).
2. The opposing coaches did a poor job with their team.
3. Roosevelt parents were too busy doing other things to support their team. (I believe he sugested they all had to work, hinting that they were all needy).
4. Roosevelt administrators were neglectful in allowing this team on the field (not a joke).
5. Somehow, the City of Yonkers was responsible for the lack of organization in the Roosevelt Program (??). As though the government was in charge of football programs?
I would call this a memorable lack of class and discretion – I recall it vividly and I am not affiliated with either program and do not know the parties involved. I just remember feeling bad for Roosevelt’s players, coaches, parents, and administrators after this guy’s public outburst.
good luck opening up against brewster, new coach may want to concentrate on 6 foot 220 lb JUNIOR at end/olb. kid started as a sophmore last year, been all over the combines and offense defense contact camp mvp – runs a 4.8 40 and benches 305!! get your scouts out there sully!!
Brewster should be on everyone’s radar this year
Tribou might have issues, like inviting me and prince to a fake BBQ!!!
But the man was pretty good at winning. His record speaks for itself. He can’t be replaced!
He might need a class in the just a fact negotiating class however!!!
ARE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS ALLOWED TO BE PRACTICING WITH COACHES PRESENT I KNOW A FEW THAT ARE DOING SO.
any predictions on Greeley’s 2012 record?
Wondering,
Yes. As long as the practice is not mandatory.
Maybe Tribou will be back, it depends on what he did or is accused of doing.
Interesting censorship, josh. Was something I wrote factually incorrect? I doubt it considering it was written here…
reminds me of when Bind Brook won a state title in hoops and coach charney got fired for not playing all the players enough for a few parents liking,
@Loudmouth Coach from Blind Brook is Coaching the men’s basketball team at Suny Purchase College. He won his conference last year 2011
scary… I approved your comment. It wasn’t censored. I have nothing to do with the blog software, other than putting words on the “naughty list.” You used a word that I had to include on the list because it had been used to abuse high school athletes on here. You did not use it in that way. When I read your post, I passed it through.
Sorry for the delay. Thanks for your patience.
So no one will say what the coach actually did to get suspended
Lil’ it doesn’t matter. Old news, another “railroad job”.
You did not go to the BBQ Just? There was someone there who identified themselves as JAF, the Prince, Husky and several other bloggers all to keep coach Tribou from knowing their identity.
It was great fun in Chappaqua…
What was his demand? Something like “Man up boys”....
I still think a good cab and some cubans would result in a great conversation… Maybe some Nicaraguans would be better.
Sometimes its better to just move on… Like any job, if you and your boss fight and disagree it turns in to a power struggle. to be honest , if it wasen’t for tenure a lot more coahes and teachers would be out of work.
WingTGuy July 23rd, 2012 at 9:39 pm
You did not go to the BBQ Just? There was someone there who identified themselves as JAF, the Prince, Husky and several other bloggers all to keep coach Tribou from knowing their identity.
It was great fun in Chappaqua…
What was his demand? Something like “Man up boys”....
I still think a good cab and some cubans would result in a great conversation… Maybe some Nicaraguans would be better.
WING-T… I SENT MY BEST FRIEND TO STAND IN FOR ME B/C I COULDN’T MAKE IT!!..
chief, it does matter. railroad job?
“You did not go to the BBQ Just? There was someone there who identified themselves as JAF, the Prince, Husky and several other bloggers all to keep coach Tribou from knowing their identity.”
Wing T, LOLOL!!!
I like Wing – T idea
Just a fact July 24th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
“You did not go to the BBQ Just? There was someone there who identified themselves as JAF, the Prince, Husky and several other bloggers all to keep coach Tribou from knowing their identity.”
Wing T, LOLOL!!!
JUST …. IS THERE ANOTHER JUST A FACT RUNNING AROUND!!
LIL PEL
WHATS GOING ON IN P-E-L-H-A-M!!
Coach Tribou gave all his effort and they suspend him. Greely officials are jerks for doing this. I hope they lose every game to remind the Ad and the district to never remove a person from a job they truly have a passion for.